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Show 1880.] MR. UOLD3WORTH ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF ASTACUS. 421 The Secretary exhibited a Spider of the genus Tegenariu, which had been forwarded to him from Cape Town with the following letter:- Cape Town, April 9, 1880. Dear Sir,- I send per this post a registered package, containing a "Tarantula " Spider. I caught it within three miles of Cape Town, on the back of a horse. All here were very unwilling to touch it, owing to its deadly bite ; but I, using chloroform, secured it. The mare has since died ; and the effects produced by the bite are similar to St. Vitus's dance in a human being. Trusting to hear of its safe arrival, I remain, dear Sir, Yours very faithfully, J. H. PAYNE. The Secretary stated that Mr. O. P. Cambridge, to w h o m he had submitted the specimen, had kindly examined the Spider, and had pronounced it to belong to an apparently new species of Tegenaria, closely allied to T. guyoni, a species common in London cellars. Mr. Cambridge confessed to much incredulity as to the mare having died from the bite of this Spider, and said that, though no doubt the facts stated were correct so far as regards the Spider having been found on the back of the mare and the mare having subsequently died, he required very clear and good evidence besides to convince him that the two facts were related to each other as cause and effect. Mr. G. E. Dobson exhibited a new and remarkable species of Megaderma, proposed to be called M. gigas, sent from Queensland to the Gottingen Museum by Dr. Schuette. Lord Lilford exhibited and made remarks upon some specimens of hybrid Pheasants between males of Phasianus reevesi and hens of P. colchicus and allied species, remarkable for their size and beautiful plumage. The following papers were read:- 1. Note on the Distribution of the Crayfish (Astacus) in Spain. By E. W . H. HOLDSWORTH, F.L.S., F.Z.S., &c. [Received April 20, 1880.] In the valuable memoir by Professor Huxley on the Classification and Distribution of the Crayfishes, published in the 'Proceedings' of this Society (1879, p. 752), the author refers to the long-standing belief that the Crayfish is not to be found in the Spanish rivers; but he thought there was little doubt that it was to be met with about |